HIGHLIGHTS

Delhi High Court has remarked that an FIR should be in a simple language or in the language of the person who has approached the Police for lodging of FIR

The Court thus opined that the practice of using such words in the FIR ought to be stopped as the public at large might not be able to understand all these words

The Court added that an FIR should be in the simplest language possible and there was no need for Police to show their knowledge of Urdu or Persian words

Following a Circular by the Delhi Police Headquarter regarding the use of simpler words in place of certain Urdu and Persian words in FIRs, the Delhi High Court has remarked that an FIR should be in a simple language or in the language of the person who has approached the Police for lodging of FIR.

"Looking to the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, it appears that FIR is the most vital document prepared by Police as it sets the process of criminal justice in motion. In fact, a copy of the FIR is required to be sent to the Magistrate immediately as it is an immediate version of the narration of the whole offence. In Court, FIR is required to be read time and against, hence, it should be in a simple language or it should be in the language of a person who has approached the Police for lodging of FIR", the Court has said.

The Court has thus directed the Delhi Police to present before it at least copies of ten FIRs registered with ten different police stations, along with a supporting affidavit, to show that the Circular is being followed in letter and spirit.

The order was passed by a Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar.

Referring to the list of 383 Urdu and Persian words detailed and translated by the Headquarters in its Circular dated November 20, the Court observed that these words were being used by the Police in FIRs in a mechanical manner, without even knowing their meaning.

The Court thus opined that the practice of using such words in the FIR ought to be stopped as the public at large might not be able to understand all these words.

It added that an FIR should be in the simplest language possible and there was no need for Police to show their knowledge of Urdu or Persian words.

The Court has also clarified that the list supplied by the Headquarters in the Circular was not exhaustive and there were other such complex words as well.

Apart from directing the Delhi Police to show samples of FIRs registered in the letter and spirit of the Circular, the Court has also directed the Delhi Police to provide the list of translated Urdu and Persian words with every FIR in order to ensure that the public understands the contents of the FIR.

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